Pages

Sunday, 25 June 2017

For some reason this didn't go live when we wrote it, so it's getting a belated publication now!

Penny and I have been busy working on the release of our new Sew-Ichigo Spring Cleaning set for Sew-Ichigo. You may recognise these designs from the themed foundation paper piecing cover booklet that we worked on for Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine back in 2015. We've tweaked some of the designs to simplify some of the patterns or make the piecing a little easier and we've added a new beginner friendly pattern, Trash Bin, which is available as a free download at

Payhip UK/EU) and Craftsy. Plus, there's an extra bonus detailed free tutorial to download that will take you through all the steps, photographs and text, to sew the free Trash Bin block.

Penny and I are currently working on a couple of projects using these blocks- they lend themselves nicely to kitchen, utility room, laundry space makes - and we'll share as they are completed. We hope you enjoy them and if you make any of our blocks, don't forget to tag us on Instagram- we would love to see. Find us at @sewichigo and use the hashtag #sewichigo.

1. Print the dress pattern at 75%. This will make a 4.5" block rather than a 6" block I find it easier to use the square pattern on page 9. I also added on ½" at the top of the pattern to create extra room to add the hanger embroidery. Cut your pattern along the section lines. Print the template pattern. Cut out.

2. Foundation paper piece your dress block following the pattern directions. Leave large seam allowances around the outer edge. Remove paper but do not trim your block. Place the hanger template over the dress and using a pencil, lightly trace around it on to the background fabric only. At the top of the hanger shape, lightly drawn in a question mark ? shape without the dot.

3. Using three strand of floss and starting at the left armhole of the dress, stem stitch or back stitch following the pencil line to create the hanger. When you come to the dress section, run your thread underneath catching it in the seams on the reverse side of the block.

4. Trim and square your block keeping the dress and hanger central. You will need at least ⅜"" above the top of the hanger to provide ¼" seam allowance. The finished size will vary according to how much you allow but mine came out 5" wide x 5 ½" long. Place on top of your backing fabric, right sides together and use it as a template to cut out the same size backing fabric.

5. Fold the hanging ribbon in half and place the raw ends at the centre top of the lavender bag front with the loop hanging down. Baste in place inside the seam allowance. Place lace along bottom edge of the lavender bag front and cut to the same size. Turn ¼" seam allowance at the side edges of the lace. I double turned these edges using the ¼" seam allowance. Place the lace right sides together with lavender bag front and with the scalloped edge facing upwards and stitch along the bottom using ¼" seam.

6. Press lace downwards creating a hem along the lower edge of the lavender bag front If you wish to add another narrower piece of trim on top of the lace, cut the length and finish the edges as in step 5 and sew on top of the lower edge hem.

7. On the bottom edge of the backing fabric, press and turn ¼" hem along the bottom edge. Place lavender bag front and backing fabric right sides together, pin side and top edges and sew together using ¼" seam- check hanging loop is hanging down freely and not catching anywhere! Turn bag through bottom opening and press.

8. Hand sew a running stitch around side and top edges of the bag using perle cotton. Do not sew along the bottom opening.

9. Lightly fill the lavender bag with dried lavender and slip stitch the opening closed on the backing side. Sew a button to the bottom of the hanging loop. Your lavender bag is complete!

Let us know if you make a hanging dress lavender bag- tag us on Instagram, @sewichigo and use the hashtag #sewichigo, we're also on Facebook and Twitter or send us an email, we'd love to see!

With all the cooking that goes on over Thanksgiving and Christmas, maybe In the Pantry is the set for you? It celebrates our love of kitchenalia and the patterns combine together nicely - see our mini quilt tutorial ideas here and each design would work well on aprons too.

we hope you enjoy whatever you choose and for those celebrating Thanksgiving, have a great time with friends and family xxx

Wednesday, 1 April 2015

So here is it, the Big Spring Clean cover booklet that we have designed for Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine with eight new retro themed designs. It goes on sale in UK shops today and hits USA in around 4-6 weeks.

It includes a step by step tutorial for the radio block. This includes using templates to cut more accurate pieces, fussy cutting and adding appliqué details.

This is Penny's design, an atomic sparkle!

The soap bubbles was a joint design, started by Penny and finished and sewn up by me.

Shine is one of my favourites, and I used the minimum number of separate sections for the text to simplify the construction.

Penny picked the most perfect fabrics for this brush, the bristles have got so much movement!

Penny's Wash and Go block shows how effective fussy cuts can be in foundation paper pieced blocks. The text print is the first piece to be added in that section which makes construction much easier

This retro light was by me- I think it has the wrong name on. Its a quick straightforward design to sew! It is such a happy collection of blocks and we both love the art work and layout from the Love Patchwork and Quilting team- thank you to Jen and Alice and all others involved. You can find Love Patchwork and Quilting issue 20 in the UK in WHSmiths, Supermarkets and large newsagents.

Saturday, 28 March 2015

Hot on the heels of our Spring Fever bird and flower patterns releases comes 'The Big Spring Clean" but these patterns as a coverbook for Love Patchwork and Quilting April issue, out next week in the Uk, and in 4-6 weeks in USA. The big reveal of all eight designs comes next week when the magazine is on sale, but meanwhile some sneaky peeks…

Thankyou to Love Patchwork and Quilting for the beautiful pics! More coming very soon!